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Tag Archives: Travel Bike

I have had the pleasure of owning a travel bike for the past ten years. When I bought it, I was traveling a few times a year to different bicycle industry events around the country. Those events all followed the same script; Get off the plane, take a shuttle to the hotel, then take shuttles to event locations within five-miles. Beyond the feeling that I was being moved like cattle, it also bothered me that I wasn’t riding my bike at these bike events! To escape this cycle, I decided to bring my own bike along on the next trip. Trying to bring my bike on a plane was a too expensive for the small amount of saddle time I was going to get. So I started to look into the options for a travel bike.

Travel Bike Options

Taking a standard bike on an airplane inexpensively, means you need to get it into a suitcase that is airplane certified. Packing your bike in a full-size bike case is also an option, but you pay steep airline fees to do so. To get your bike small enough to fit it into a case, it needs to either fold, or use couplers to split in half. I was looking for a frame that could split, because I planned to build the bike with spare parts and the parts I had wouldn’t work on a folding bike. Couplers work by replacing a portion of the top and downtube, and allow them to come apart.

The two major players in couplers are Ritchey, and S&S. Ritchey makes complete coupler frames that include a case, pads, and cable splitters as a package. S&S couplers are modern day fine art but sold as couplers only. The downside for S&S couplers is they are expensive because you need have a custom bike built, or have them installed on an existing steel frame by a frame builder. For me, having a custom bike built was too expensive and labor intensive, so I picked a Ritchey.

Outside of those coupler bikes there are packable and folding bikes available from other companies as well. The most packable bike is built by a company called Moulton. Moulton uses a cool truss design to create stiff, light, packable bicycles. I didn’t consider these bicycles only because their frames are built for small 20” wheels, and the spare wheels I had were larger. Folding bikes are also a great option we have covered here on Havefunbking.com but would also require smaller wheels.

The Bike

Ritchey makes complete road and cyclocross coupled frames under their “Breakaway” series. Because I wanted a bike that could handle the widest range of conditions, I opted for the cyclocross frame. My new Ritchey Steel Cross Frame arrived in its black suitcase and I couldn’t wait to get it open. Moments later I had freed my orange and grey beauty from the packaging that had imprisoned it. I quickly built it up and took it for a spin. I was surprised at how efficient the bike felt. Somewhere in my mind I must have assumed that because it was a travel bike, there would be additional flex, more weight, or just some sort of compromised ride. The reality was that the bike rode just like a bike without couplers.

How Does It Work

It is easy to pack the Ritchey by removing the wheels, handlebar, seat and seatpost, and decoupling the frame. The resulting six parts fit neatly into the supplied Ritchey suitcase with enough room left over for a helmet, shoes and some bike gear. The supplied padding Velcros in place to protect the paint on each tube and even includes a small bag to protect the rear derailleur. To close the suitcase, just zip it up and compress the contents with the 3 exterior straps.

Is a Travel Bike Really That Easy?

In the years I’ve owned my bike it has treated me to thousands of miles over far away roads. I have built it in airports, hotel rooms, and conference rooms across the globe. Assembling it is easy and quick with just a folding set of hex wrenches. Even though assembly is easy, don’t forget to have the bike routinely maintained at your local bike shop. While it’s not necessary each time you travel, packing and unpacking a bike can accelerate the need for maintenance.

I hope you have a similar, positive experience with your travel bike. Bringing a familiar “two wheeled friend” along on your bike journeys is the best way to explore.

Folding bikes are an essential bicycle for anyone with limited space, a multi-mode commute, or the desire to travel with a bike. Many companies make great folders that are easy to transport, featherweight and easy to use. Read ahead for tips on how to choose the right one and for information on all the benefits of a folder.

Types of folding bikes

-Sizes

Wheel size is the major differentiation between folding bikes. They range from 12” wheels, like the wheels you find on a kid’s bike, up to 700c full size adult wheels. Most folding bike frames are sized as one size fits all. The Seat and handlebars can usually be raised and lowered almost infinitely to fit any rider. The most noticeable part of different wheel sizes is comfort and stability.

-Brands

There are many different brands out there. The major players are Dahon, Tern, and Bike Friday. Each have models that are oriented toward road riding, off-road, or touring. Tern and Dahon make their bicycles in Asia out of aluminum or steel. Bike Friday on the other hand, produces all their bicycles in Eugene Oregon out of steel. There are many other brands that make folding bikes as well, but these are the three most readily available in bike shops.

Portability

Folding bikes are great because of their size. For storage, having the ability to fold a bike up into a suitcase sized package offers a lot of options. These bikes can fit under a bed, into a closet, or the trunk of your car.

Commuting

A barrier for many people to enter into bicycle commuting is distance. For some, it is just not possible to ride 25 miles to work. A folding bike can help split up a bicycle commute. By being folding, you can ride the bike from your home to the bus or train, ride public transportation and then finish the trip to work on your bike again.

Wheel size

Most folding bikes use smaller wheels than their non-folding counterparts. Those small wheels are great when it’s time to fold the bike up, but while riding, they can be a bit harsher than a full size wheel.

Unique parts

Folding bikes use proprietary parts in order to fold as small as possible. Most of these parts are specific to each folding bike brand and are designed to make the bike as fold-able as possible while also being very light. The downside to unique parts is getting replacements can be an issue. Overall, these parts aren’t usually wear items, so the instance of replacement is low.

Stiffness

Folding bikes use smaller frames in the pursuit of getting as small and light as possible once folded. The side effect of a small frame is low stiffness. This flex would be appreciated if it were in a vertical plane, as it would absorb road vibration, but sadly the lateral flex of a folding bike only robs the rider of efficiency.

Tips to buying

Trying before you buy can be difficult because most shops don’t stock a large selection of folding bikes. Start by making a few calls to local shops to see what’s available to ride. Because of that scarcity, focus on testing two things – Wheel size and frame material. The wheel size and frame material have the largest effect on the ride quality of the bicycle. If you can solidify the wheel size and frame material you prefer, you can then determine the other features without riding them.

Travel Bikes

Travel bikes are full sized bicycles that can be deconstructed to fit into a suitcase. While they offer the same ride quality as a standard bicycle, they do not disassemble quickly. I would recommend a folding bike over a travel bike if you plan to make frequent short trips with the bike. If you plan to travel longer distances, and ride more miles, a travel bike is great.